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ESPN on Ben - Out three weeks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have to roll with Byron Leftwich for a while.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday morning that a three week recovery for Ben Roethlisberger's rib injury is a "best case scenario." While doctors will know more about Roethlisberger's prognosis by the end of next week, it's believed to be a "long shot" that he'll suit up against Baltimore Ravens when the two teams face off again in Week 13.

We think the Steelers still have a shot to win Sunday night against the Ravens with Leftwich at quarterback. Pittsburgh also has a road date in Cleveland next week, which won't be easy assuming Roethlisberger is out.

There is never a good time to lose a franchise quarterback, but this news is crushing for Steelers fans. They need to split with Baltimore to have any shot at the AFC North. They could wind up letting teams like Cincinnati back into the playoff race.

This is a very uncommon injury. The bottom line, is that no one really knows how long it's going to take to heal. And unlike other injuries, the Steelers won't rush Ben back. When he's healthy, I think they'll hold him an extra week, just to be sure.

CBS' Jason La Canfora reports Ben Roethlisberger (ribs, shoulder) is "expected back" for Week 13.
According to La Canfora, it's not "out of the question" that Roethlisberger could dress as an emergency quarterback for Week 12. Charlie Batch will start against the Browns, but it's clear Roethlisberger is making steady progress. He shed his sling on Wednesday. Considering the magnitude of next week's game against Baltimore, we expect Big Ben to be back. Nov 22 - 1:01 PM
Source: CBSSports.com